


A different Yule Ball

by Kleo09



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Yule Ball (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:48:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21779374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kleo09/pseuds/Kleo09
Summary: What would've happened if Harry asked Hermione to be his date? How will he ask her? How will Ron react? Will they become a couple?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 8
Kudos: 90





	A different Yule Ball

Hey guys, this has been one of my first attempts to write an english fanfiction. It’s a repost ff.net back from several years ago. English isn’t my native language, so there might be some grammar mistakes.

Enjoy reading :)

Disclaimer:  
Saldy I don’t own Harry Potter. Everythings belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter one – The unexpected task**

  
„Who is your date for the Yule ball, Harry?" Ron asked his mate while fumbling around with his tie. The black haired boy just sighed while trying to tam his hair (without much luck). His best mate was bugging him with that question since he knew Harry had a date for the ball. It was quite annoying.  
"Oh come on." the redhead urged him. "You can tell me, after all I'm your best mate. Does that mean nothing to you?" Now he was trying to cut off the quillings of his sleeves. "It's enough that Hermione won't say anything about her date either, at least you could tell me."  
Harry just sighed asking himself if Hermione has to go through the same as him.

  
"Oh come on Hermione. You can tell us with whom you're going." Parvati teased her roommate while applying some make up. "She is right. Just tell us. It's not like we won't know soon. So you can tell us now." nagged Lavender, the other girl in the dorm.  
Hermione just rolled her eyes annoyed. Those two were never going to leave her alone. "Well like you said yourself Lavender, you´ll know soon. So I suppose you can still wait another hour." She said while fighting with her bushy hair. It was a nightmare and curled in every direction, just not in the direction the brunette wanted.  
"That means you can tell us right now Herms." Lavender was not leaving her alone.  
"You'll see soon enough and now could you please leave me alone." Hermione lost her patience and snapped at the girl.  
"Pff, come on Pav. Someone is being a jerk." The girl marched out of the room, holding her head high. Parvati just smiled apologizing at Hermione and hurried after her best friend.  
The left girl just shook her head and continued trying to get her hair in a knot. She asked herself if Harry had to go through the same with Ron. That boy could be quite stubborn sometimes. He was bugging herself and Harry for weeks. But they had both agreed it would be the best for her, if no one knew about this. Her mind started to wander back.

  
"Harry, help me." Ron whined fighting with his dress robes. "I look like my great-aunt Tessy." He smelled at himself "And I even smell like my great-aunt Tessy." Harry just looked pitifully at his mate but his thoughts started to wander to a moment a few weeks ago.

  
_Flashback_

Harry walked out of the transfiguration classroom, in his mind echoing the words of his professor. 'I expect you and your date … open the ball … dancing'. A date, he, who never ever had a girlfriend should get a date and open a ball, dancing. He couldn't dance. Dudley took some dancing lessons over the summer, but his aunt and his uncle didn't even ask Harry if he wanted to come too (not that he wanted). He nearly walked past Hermione, lost in his thoughts, scaring fantasies running through his mind. Compared to this task he would love to fight against the Hungarian horntail again.

  
"Hermione, I'm starving." Ron whined. He and the brunette witch were standing in front of the transfiguration classroom, waiting for their fried. "Oh honestly Ronald, can't you wait for a few minutes?" the young witch asked annoyed. "But I'm hungry." He continued his voice an annoying whining. Hermione glared at him. "Well, then go ahead. I'll wait for Harry." "Alright, see you later." The redhead just yelled, already running in the direction of the great hall.  
Shaking her head the young witch looked after him. Sometimes she wondered if the world of her friend was just made out of food and Quidditch. Before she could ponder more about the youngest Weasley boy, Harry was walking past her. For a moment she looked confused after the boy, before starting to run, trying to catch up with him.  
"Harry, wait up. What happened?" Hermione gasped, not used to running. The black haired boy looked startled for a moment. He had been lost in his thoughts.  
"Professor McGonegall said that there'll be a Yule ball and I have to find a date." Harry exclaimed loudly. The young witch just looked at her friend, trying her best not to laugh. The black haired boy looked absolutely terrified. Fighting against a dragon - no problem. Asking a girl on a date - a very big problem. Finally she gave in and laughed heartily.  
Harrys face darkened as the know-it-all of Gryffindor started to laugh at him. "What the hell are you laughing at?" Hermione tried to calm down, after she saw the dark look her friend gave her. Between some giggles she tried to explain herself.  
"Sorry Harry. You just looked so terrified." After she received a glare from him she quickly continued. "So, where is the problem?" she asked, trying to seem clueless.  
Harry looked disbelievingly at the young girl. Wasn't she supposed to know everything? Instead she asked such a stupid question. But as he looked at her face he knew that she knew what was bothering him. Why did she even ask?  
"I haven't the faintest clue which girl I should ask on a date." He exclaimed desperate.  
"Oh come on, there must be someone you want to ask." Hermione teased him, but silently hoping that he would ask her.  
"Um … well … yes … I like Cho, but I don't know her that well. Parvati and Lavender just giggle too much." He pauses am moment to think. "And Ginny is too young, besides she is Rons sister and she has a crush on me. I don't see her that way."  
Hermione waited for him to continue, but he wasn't talking anymore.  
"Isn't there another girl, maybe?" she asked, hoping that he would get the hint.  
"No." the young wizard just said after a moment of thinking.  
The brunette witch felt her hopes shattered. Trying her best not to look hurt she turned around.  
"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone. After all you're a triwizard champion and the boy-who-lived. I'll go in the library. See you later in the common room."  
"Hermione wait, don´t you want to eat?" Harry called after her, but she was out of his sight, before he could stop her.  
Why did she look hurt? Harry asked himself what could have happened. He just sighed and walked down to the great hall. Why were girls so complicated?

  
_Flashback end_

  
Harry smiled to himself, he had been such an idiot back then.  
"Hey mate, snap out of it. We must go to meet our dates." The voice of his best friend brought him back to reality.  
"Well, go ahead. I won't meet her in the great hall. See you at the ball." Harry just told him absently, his mind already starting to wander to his date again. Ron just looked confused at his friend. If he wasn't going to meet his date down in the great hall, she had to be a Gryffindor, right? "So, the mysterious girl is in our house?"  
"Ron, could you please leave it alone? You'll know soon." The youngest champion just sighed, once again fighting with his hair.  
The redhead finally gave in. "Oh well, keep your secret to yourself. At least, you've got a date. I feel so sorry for the poor girl."  
Harry looked confused over to his mate. About whom was he talking? Harry glanced at Neville, who just shrugged with his shoulders, in his face showing the same confusion as the young champion felt.  
"Who the hell are you talking about?" the black haired boy asked his best friend. Neville was also looking interested at Ron.  
Ron gazed at both of them. Were they playing tricks on him? Why they asked such a stupid question? But Harry and Neville seemed pretty clueless.  
"I talk about Hermione of course. I mean, why did she say, that she has a date and won't tell us?" Ron looked expectantly at his roommates, but they still looked pretty confused.  
"Because you two would've teased her mercilessly?" Neville suggested.  
Ron just shook his head. Sometimes his dorm mate could be pretty clueless, but his best friend wasn't better, he even nodded his agreement to the round faced boy.  
"Don't be stupid. She didn't tell us, because she has no one." Ron exclaimed, obviously proud of himself, because he was able to figure it out and his dorm mates weren't. "See you later." And with this he marched out of the door.  
Harry looked confused over to Neville.  
"Do you have the faintest clue what he was talking about?"  
The round faced boy just shook his head.  
"Why do you ask me? He is your best mate. But besides, I don't know what he meant."  
What did Ron mean with that? Why shouldn't Hermione have a date? The black haired boy thought hard, but came to no resolution. Shrugging his shoulders he gave up. Turning to his dorm mate he said.  
"We should go to the common room."  
Neville just nodded and walked after Harry down the stairs. Both boys were pretty nervous. Their faces were pale.  
Harry's thoughts wandered off again, to the day he asked her.

  
_Flashback start_

  
Harry sat down beside Ron, who was stuffing his face with everything that he could reach from his place. The green eyed boy just looked envious to his best friend. He didn't need to worry about being a triwizard champion and he didn't need to worry about opening the ball. Of course it would look better if the redhead would find himself a date, but there also wouldn't be a problem if he has no one. For all these facts Harry envied him.  
"So, what did old McG wanted?" Ron asked the black haired boy, thankfully after swallowing his food.  
"I need to find a date and open the ball with the other champions – dancing Ron, dancing."  
The youngest Weasly boy nearly spat his pumpkin juice over the whole table.  
"You need to what?!" he coughed after he could breathe again.  
"I need to find a date and open the ball with the other champions – dancing." Harry repeated.  
Ron looked at Harry with a horrified expression, but then he started to chuckle.  
"I feel sorry for you mate." the red haired boy said, silently laughing to himself.  
Harry just sighed.  
"Geez, thanks mate, you're not helping here. "  
"Which girl do you want to ask?" Ron questioned his best mate when he calmed down.  
"Well, THAT'S my problem, I haven't the faintest clue."  
The red haired boy seemed to think for a moment.  
"I'm sure you will find someone, after all you're the youngest triwizard champion ever and you're the boy who lived."  
With these words Ron turned his attention back on his plate and stared to shuffle everything eatable in his mouth.  
Harry sighed and looked around the great hall. He never realised that there were so much girls in Hogwarts. Giggling girls, who always wandered around in herds. Would one of these girls want to go with him?  
Suddenly he didn't feel hungry anymore. Instead he felt a little sick.  
"I'll go to the common room. See you later."  
"Whatever suits you mate." Ron replied chewing.

  
To Harrys utter surprise Rons words were proving themselves right. He had barely left the hall before a girl asked him to the ball. It was a pretty fifth year of Hufflepuff Harry never spoke before. He turned her down without even thinking about it further. She seemed pretty hurt, but nevertheless rushed away.  
Harry hurried his way through the castle. He didn't want such an unpleasant encounter again. But, like he noticed before, there were many girls at Hogwarts, and at least four asked him to the Yule ball. He turned all of them down without much thinking. Most of them had been older and taller than he was. It would look ridiculous, if he went to the ball with a girl a lot taller than himself. Besides he didn't know any of them and they just wanted the boy who lived and the triwizard champion and not Harry.

**Chapter two – The question and the answer**

  
_Continue of flashback_

  
With a relieved sigh Harry plopped down on an armchair near the fireplace. Finally there were no longer girls. The black haired boy closed his eyes relieved, but they snapped open again, when he heard giggling. Of course, in Gryffindor were girls too.  
Harry decided to ignore them and started to think how to solve his biggest problem – getting a date for the yule ball. He was lost in his thoughts until Hermione name fell over by the giggling girls, Lavender and Parvati, Harry was sure of it.  
"Whom do you think Hermion will ask to the ball?" Lavander said.  
"You really think someone wants to go with her?" Parvati sniggered.  
"I mean, just look at her, she's not exactly what I would call pretty."  
The black haired boy listening to their conversation felt his anger grow. He was about to defend his best friend when a thought stuck his mind. Hermione was a GIRL. She could go to the yule ball with him.  
In a flash Harry rushed out of the common room, off to find his best friend.  
Where could Hermione be? He thought about it for a moment, before it hit him – in the library.

  
There she was, sitting on a single table surrounded by big and heavy books and scrolls of parchment around her.  
Slowly Harry walked over to her and cleared his throat, hoping that she was in a better mood than the last time he saw her. To his relief she acknowledged him, but she still looked at him quite annoyed.  
'Here you go Harry.' he thought to himself, before gathering his whole bravery.  
"Willyougoballwithme?"

  
_Flashback end_

  
Hermione looked into the mirror and couldn't believe that this pretty girl you could see in the reflection should be herself.  
Her hair was for once tamed in a complicated updo with some twirls curling around pale face. A beautiful frilly dress shining in different shades of pink and purple covered her slender body. There was rarely makeup on her skin, but this made her even looks prettier.  
The young brown haired girl never considered herself pretty. In fact she always thought that she is really plain. But at the moment she really looked stunning.  
Upon looking at the clock Hermione realised that she had to go down soon. Naturally she was pretty nervous. It was her first date. She never had been on a ball before. And, most important fact, she was going with her best friend and this friend was a triwizard champion.  
Hermione looked at her reflection one again, but this time she smiled. What will Harry think about her dress? Will he notice finally that she was indeed a girl?  
Her thoughts wandered back to the day Harry asked her to the yule ball. It even was the day of the announcement. At first he had been pretty clueless and unintentionally hurt her, not considering her while thinking about the girls he could go with. But later he got really sweet.

  
_Flashback start_

  
Hermione was feeling really hurt. Harry didn't even think about the possibility to ask her to the ball, while rambling about the girls he could go with. He never realised that there had been a girl standing right in front of him.  
Now she sat in the library, busy with doing homework and being mad at Harry.  
Suddenly someone cleared his throat, forcing her to look up from her work. It was her `Not-so-best-friend-at-the-moment` Harry. Annoyed she glared at him. First he forgot that she is a girl and now he disturbed her work.  
"Willyougoballwithme?"  
'Did he lose his ability to speak properly?' Hermione asked herself. She looked suspicious at the black haired boy. He looked like he was up to something, standing in front of her and wringing his hands in anticipation.  
Harry was feeling pretty nervous. He just asked Hermione to be his date and she looked at him like he was a dragon with two heads. Finally, after a few seconds, she opened her mouth to speak. It just wasn't the answer Harry was expecting.  
"What did you just say?" the brunette with asked. She hadn't the faintest idea what Harry was trying to tell her.  
"If you talk to someone, then speak like a human being." She lectured him.  
The black haired boy gathered all that was left of his bravery and asked her, this time so, that she could understood him.  
"Would you … like to … be my … date …for the …yule ball?" he managed to stutter.  
Hermiones mouth gaped slightly out of surprise. Did he just ask her to the yule ball? Hary Potter - her secret crush since last year? But then a thought occurred her, a thought she didn't really like.  
"Whom did you ask first?" Hermione questioned Harry.  
Harry was utterly confused. He expected her to yell at him, telling him that this was a crazy idea but not that question.  
"What do you mean?"  
The brightest witch of her age huffed in annoyance. Sometimes he was really dense.  
"I mean which girls you asked before me? Cho, Parvati, Lavender?"  
Bewildered Harry looked at his best friend. Why was she asking such stupid questions? Anyway he decided to answer her, before he got on her bad side.  
"None."  
"What do you mean none? There must have been someone or else you wouldn't ask me."  
Hermione protested. Did he think that she was stupid?  
"No Hermione, I really asked no one. Some girls I didn't know asked me, but I turned them down. I didn't ask Cho or Lavender or someone else. I ask you."  
The black haired boy explained the brunette which sitting in front of him and now biting her lip. Something she always did when she was nervous and Harry just noticed how cute it was.  
'What? Wait, since when Hermione is cute? She is just … Hermione.' He thought to himself.  
Hermione was biting her lip nervously. Did he really ask no one before her? Was she really not his last option?  
The brunette witch spoke out the first thought that came in her mind.  
"Why me? You could have any girl in the castle and probably some of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang too. Why are you asking me?"  
'Well, it isn't a refusal yet.' Harry thought to himself.  
He should have expected this. This was Hermione. Hermione, who always needs to know the reason behind everything.  
"Um … " stammered Harry, trying to find an explanation which would satisfy the brunette haired witch.  
"Well … It's just … um … you're one of my best friends. I can talk to you without being embarrassed. It is different with other girls." the black haired boy tried to explain.  
"Um … I mean you're one of the blokes."  
That was the worst thing he could have said and he noticed that immediately when Hermiones eyes narrowed dangerously.  
'One of the blokes? Does he think that I'm a boy?' the brightest witch of her age asked herself. It was hard enough than he didn't recognize her being a girl, but being considered as one of the blokes was much worse. Hermione knew that she wasn't pretty, but she was a girl and not one of the blokes.  
"Um … I didn't mean it like that. I mean, of course you're a girl and …. um … but you're one of us … and …" Harry babbled, which made Hermione laugh slightly.  
"Alright, I'm one of the blokes." she declared grinning.  
"But why do you want to go with men. I'm just the plain looking bookworm and know-it-all from Gryffindor." Hermione continued sadly.  
Disbelievingly Harry looked onto his best friend. Did Hermione really thought so about her? Apparently she did.  
"Hermione, don't talk about you like that." he chided her.  
"But it's true, everyone thinks so." the brunette witch explained to him.  
"No Hermione, that's bullshit." Harry swore. He was furious. How could she think about herself like that?  
"You aren't a bookworm or a know it all. You're a pretty and smart girl."  
Hermione was furious too, but because of another reason. First, he didn't recognise that she is a girl, while standing in front of her, second, he disturbed her work, third he called her a bloke and now he was lying into her face.  
The small witch stood up heightening to her not so impressive height, compared to Harry, and put her hands onto her hips.  
"Stop lying to me Harry James Potter. I'm not even close to be considered as pretty. I've freckles, huge front teeth and my hair is a nightmare." Hermione nearly yelled at him, forgetting at the moment that her teeth weren't an issue anymore.  
Tears threatened to fall out of her eyes, but she didn't allow them to fall. She would not cry in front of Harry. She refused to do so.  
Harry looked shocked at his best friend. She really thought about herself like that. Of course he never considered her as a girl being. She was one of them, like he said before, one of the blokes.  
He was determined to make her feel better, but how? The black haired boy looked at his best friend and noticed her unshed tears. Oh no, he had to do something, right now.  
"Hermione … see. …your freckles are really cute and your teeth aren't an issue anymore. And your hair …" Harry hesitated for a moment, before continuing "It's untameable, like you."  
Hermione beamed at him. Not once in her live someone had said such nice things about her. Not once.  
The black haired wizard took the chance, as she looked at him with the biggest smile he had ever seen on her face.  
"So, will you accompany me to the yule ball?"  
The brightest witch at her age never felt so happy before. Her secret crush was asking her to the yule ball and just considered her as pretty. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes again, but this time they were happy tears.  
"Yes."  
"Really? Thank you." Without thinking he embraced Hermione tightly, which surprised her greatly.  
When Harry came to his senses he quickly let go of her and rushed out of the library, leaving Hermione standing there, grinning like an idiot.

  
_Flashback end_

**Chapter three – Ron is an idiot**

  
Hermione smiled as she descended the stairs. Harry had been really stupid back then.  
She had just passed the door of the third year's girls' dorm, when a voice called out for her.  
"Hey, wait for me."  
Hermione turned around and saw her best female friend hurrying after her. Ginny wore a beautiful green dress, which harmonized perfect with her red hair.  
"You look pretty. Neville won't know what will hit him." she complimented the redhead.  
Ginny just grinned.  
"You look pretty hot yourself there Miss Granger. All of the boys will lust over you."  
Giggling they made their way downstairs.

  
Harry and Neville both looked extremely nervous, as they waited for their dates in the common room. The round faced boy fumbled around with his tie, while the boy who lived ran a hand through his hair, trying to make it look less messy.  
"What's taking them so long?" Neville asked, slowly becoming impatient.  
Harry just shrugged his shoulders.  
"I don't know but I'm sure that there is a reas …" the black haired boy stopped mid sentenced, his eyes turning wide and his gaze now never left the stairs, which led to the girls dorms.  
Neville looked curious at his friend. What happened to him? Was he hit with a spell?  
He followed his gaze and his jaw dropped at what he saw there.  
Two pretty girls descended the stairs. One of them wearing a green dress, the other one a pink purplish one. Both were smiling radiant. And now, they were walking toward the boys.  
Hermione and Ginny couldn't help but started to laugh as they saw their date's faces. They looked ridiculous. Mouths opened like fishes. The two girls just smirked lightly at each other before each of them walked toward their respective dates.

  
Standing in front of Harry Hermione hoped she would get a reaction from him, but he still stood there looking like a fish. She looked over toward Ginny and saw that Neville don't looked any better. Ginny shook her head slightly and shot Hermione a meaningful glance.  
"Close your mouth or you'll catch flies." they said simultaneously.  
Both boys' mouths shut close and finally they were able to say something.  
"You look …. stunning …" Harry managed to stutter. Hermione really looked beautiful. He never thought of her as plain or ugly, but her looking like that was just … wow. At first he even didn't recognize her. She radiated such a confidence he never had seen before on her.  
Hermione blushed slightly as she heard her secret crush telling her to be stunning, but nevertheless she complimented him back.  
"You look rather handsome yourself there Mister Potter."  
The black haired boy started to laugh heartily. This was the Hermione he knew.  
"Are you ready to go?" a female voice interrupted then.  
Hermione just laughed.  
"Never." she said and continued "Come on." and nearly dragged Harry out of the common room. She had to, because he seemed not ready and stemmed his feet in the ground like a little boy, but he stood no chance against Hermione.

  
And so they all headed toward the great hall. Harry was now walking willingly beside Hermione and Neville and Ginny walking behind them.  
"Ah, finally there you are Mister Potter, Miss Granger. Come over here and wait with the other champions." their transfiguration Professor said. "And you Mister Longbotten, you and Miss Weasly can go to the great hall already."  
"See you later." Ginny said to her friends and dragged a rather nervous looking Neville into the great hall. Hermione and Harry smiled and winked at her.  
The youngest champion looked at the other pairs. Fleur was there with Roger Davis, beside Krum was a blond girl he didn't know and Cedric took Cho. To his surprise it didn't bother Harry. As he looked closer he realised that the Asian girl was rather pretty tonight, but in his opinion not as pretty as Hermione.  
Hermione saw the other Hogwarts champion look at her, obliviously trying to find out who she was. After some time a look of recognise crossed his face.  
"Hermione Granger?" he questioned. Cho also looked up at this, because the younger girl was wide known through the whole school. After all she was one of Harry Potter's best friends.  
The brunette haired witch smiled at them.  
"Yes, it's me."  
Cho looked at her astonished, the normal so ordinary looking girl looked really pretty. The older girl leaned toward Hermione.  
"You've got to teach me this updo. I nearly got crazy with despair while doing my hair."  
Hermione giggled slightly. She hadn't expected this situation, but it was great.  
"Of course I will." she told the older girl.

  
Harry looked at the interaction of the two girls and smiled. He was happy for Hermione. Finally the people saw her as a girl and not just as a plain bookworm. He gazed over toward Cedric who was also looking onto the girls and chuckled when the other Hogwarts champion gave him thumbs up.  
"Champions, it's time to go to the great hall." Professor McGonagalls voice interrupted their interactions.  
"At first Mister Krum will go in, then Miss Delacour, then Mister Diggory and last Mister Potter." explained the Scottish witch and with a flick of her wand the doors to the great hall opened.

  
Hermione nervously clutched tightly Harry's arm, which started to feel numb. But the boy didn't notice it. He was incredibly nervous too and relived that his best friend held onto him, or else his legs would've given out beneath him. They felt like jelly.  
Whispers branded up in the great hall. All of them wanted to know who that mysterious girl with Potter was. After some time they heard some voices saying 'Wait, is that Granger?' or 'What had that girl hidden under her school robes all the time?'.  
Hermione felt her face heat up with all the unwanted attention. She was feeling rather uncomfortable. Normally she was the silent person in the background, watching the people standing in the middle of the attention. But this time she was the one who drew the attention. Nevertheless she also felt a little bit pleased. It convinced her that the girl she saw in the mirror earlier was not just a dream.  
Harry felt Hermione tense beside him. She didn´t like this attention and neither did he. He pressed her fingers encouraging and gazed at the faces the people were making. Some of them looked disbelievingly, some of them angry and some of them smiled at the young couple. The black haired boy felt pleased when not even Malfoy found the voice to throw an insult at Hermione.  
Finally Harrys gaze fell upon the person he was looking for – Ron Weasly. His eyes were narrowed and he looked angry at his best friends. Why didn't they tell him?  
As the youngest champion registered the angry look on his best friends face he shot him a warning glance, clearly remembering the event that happened previous week.  
Ron felt Harrys gaze and looked at him, feeling really angry, but then he saw the warning glance his best friend shot him and felt embarrassed. His head and ears got bright red.  
The black haired wizard saw Rons face getting redder that he ever saw it. He was clearly remembering what happened last Friday. Harry remembered it too.

  
_Flashback start_

  
Hermione and Harry sat in the common room on a couch near the fire, doing homework. They both had already eaten and wondered where their best friend was. It was unusual for Ron to miss a meal. He always inhaled the food.  
"Hermione, can you help me with potions please?" the black haired boy asked the brightest witch of her age.  
Sighing Hermione asked "Sure, what's your problem?"  
Harry opened his mouth to answer her, but closed it as the door of the common room swung open and Ron came in. He looked bad. His little sister had to support him and led him to an arm chair beside his two best friends.  
Hermione and Harry looked unsure at each other and then at their best friend. What happened?  
"What happened mate?" the boy who lived broke the silence, but Ron didn't answer and just shook his head.  
"He …" his sister started, but Ron was about to interrupt her. "Oh hush it Ron."  
"He just got brushed off by a girl." Ginny giggled, looking amused by the situation.  
"It was rather frightening. He nearly shouted at her." the youngest redhead continued.  
"Who was she?" Hermione managed to ask, fighting to smile herself.  
Harry also looked rather interested too.  
"Fleur Delacour. I don't know what got into me." Ron whispered.  
Ginny broke into another fit of giggles and Hermione tried her hardest not to laugh. Just Harry felt pity for the poor redhead.  
"It isn´t your fault mate. She's part veela. Her grandmother was one. She has one of her hairs in her wand." the black haired boy explained.  
Ron just nodded sullen, but suddenly looked really determined.  
"We've to get us dates. The yule ball is in two weeks."  
Harry looked confused at his best friend. What did he mean?  
"What do you mean with us?"  
Ron looked rather puzzled at Harry's question.  
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and couldn't contain their giggles any longer. Sometimes Ron could be really stupid.  
The brunette haired witch smiled as she looked at Harry. He had been clever and asked her on the day their transfiguration Professor announced the ball.  
Ginny saw her gaze and grinned. She knew it, she knew that Harry was Hermiones mysterious date.  
"You need to get a date too Harry, you're a triwizard champion. You need a date." Ron explained patiently.  
Harry squirmed uncomfortable in his seat. He and Hermione never told anyone that they were going together, not even Ron. They agreed that it would be better for Hermione's health if no one knew.  
"Well Ron … you see … I already have a date…"  
"What?" the redhead looked gobsmacked at first, but then his ears turned red.  
Harry, knowing his best friends temper quickly added.  
"Sorry that I didn't tell you, but we both thought it would be better for her. I'm a triwizard champion and the boy who lived. Who knows what some other girls would do to her."  
Ron nodded, seeing the truth in his best mate's words, and his ears returned to their normal colour.  
"But with whom I should go?" the redhead thought for a moment before carrying on. "Well, there is Lavender, but Dean is taking her and Seamus is going with Parvati. Mh… Padma also already has a date …" Ron mumbled to himself.  
"I'm sure you'll find someone." Hermione said with a smile to encourage her friend. At this words Ron suddenly looked up and startled her.  
"Hermione you're a girl." The redhead exclaimed rather loudly.  
"Glad you noticed it." The brunette haired witch snapped annoyed.  
"Easy Hermione, but then you can go with me." Ron said happily.  
Hermione just shook her head and blushed. "No I can't. I already have someone."  
While she said this Harry tried not to look like he knew something and Ginny just started to giggle.  
Confused Ron looked at her for a moment and then said. "No, you haven't. Come on, to go alone as a boy is one thing, but as a girl it's much worse."  
The brunette's eyes narrowed dangerously "And you know that so well Ronald Weasley. Just because you needed three years to get that I'm a girl doesn't mean that no one else noticed."  
Harry cringed at the tone his best friend was using. Ron had to be careful or this could end badly for him. It was Hermione's 'Say another wrong word and I'll hex you into next week.' tone.  
The redhead just didn't seem to get it. He looked irritated, but then he smiled again.  
"Alright, I got it, you're a girl. So, are you coming with me or not?"  
Harry just groaned at his best friend's bashfulness and Ginny slapped her forehead. Could her brother really be that stupid?  
Hermione narrowed her eyes even further and her lips were in a strict line, an expression which could challenge Professor McGonagalls.  
"Ron, like I told you before, I already have someone." She explained to him with forced calmness.  
The redhead didn't look like he got it now. He looked angered.  
"If you don't want to go to the ball why didn't you said so in the beginning? You should consider yourself lucky that I even asked someone like you." He stated harsh.  
"What do you mean someone like me?" Hermione asked dangerously calm.  
Harry and Ginny also looked at Ron in confusion. Both didn't like were that was going.  
"With someone like you I mean a pale, bossy know-it-all with awful hair and a body like a boy." Ron said hurtfully.  
Hermione looked at him, feeling like a knife just stabbed her chest. All the things she told Harry others were thinking about her were true. The black haired wizard had assured her that they weren't, but Ron was the living proof that Hermione was right. She knew that she wasn't pretty, but hearing one of her so called best friends say such things about her were pretty hurtful.  
Hermione felt her eyes watering, but she refused to cry in front of the boy who made her feel so horrible.  
"If you say so, but the boy who asked me thinks differently." The brunette haired witch said in an ice cold tone, turned around and nearly ran out of the common room, the tears already starting to fall.

  
Ron looked after her and then in the shocked faces of his best friend and his sister.  
"What?" he asked. "I just told her the truth."  
Harry was ready to punch him. He had spent hours to convince Hermione that no one thought like that about her and now their best friend showed that he did.  
"You really screwed up this time Ron." He said serious and turned around to go after his date.  
"What do you mean …" the redhead started but then asked louder furiously "Wait, were you going?"  
"To find Hermione and undo the damage you've done." Harry just yelled back and stormed out of the portrait hole.  
"Bloody mental those two." Ron said to his sister while shaking his head.  
Ginny who had stood beside them silently from the beginning was shaking with rage. Her brother was such a git sometimes. As he said this sentence something snapped in her. She slapped her brother with her whole strength, turned around and stormed to the girl's dorms, before she could do something worse.  
Ron held his aching cheek and looked after his sister. He asked himself what was going on.

  
Harry run around the halls looking for Hermione, ignoring the confused looks others gave him as he passed. Where the hell could she have gone? He stopped in an empty passageway and tried to catch his breath.  
Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he cursed himself for not thinking earlier of it. The black haired boy looked around. When he noticed that he was still alone he grabbed the marauders map. With an 'I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good.` the whole castle was shown on the parchment.  
After a few moments he found Hermione. She was on the other side of the castle. Hurriedly Harry murmured a quick `Mischief managed` and started to jog to the astronomy tower. He had to get to Hermione. He had to assure her that not everybody thought like that.

  
Hermione was sitting in the snow at top of the astronomy tower. It was pretty cold here but she didn't care. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, her head lying on top of them while she had started to let her tears fall freely. It hurt. It just bloody hurt.  
The brunette haired girl didn't notice the sharping wind around her, letting snowflakes cower her hair slowly. She didn't notice the cold sneaking up in her bones. Hermione shivered out of the cold, but she didn't care. She just cried.  
Her shoulders tensed when someone sat beside her and slipped an arm around. Who was it?  
"You know Ron isn't right, do you?" Harry's voice asked. His heart had gone out for her, when he had seen her sitting like that in the cold - cowered with snow, violently shivering and weeping silently.  
Hermione relaxed as she heard his voice, but she didn't look up. She knew that Ron was right. After all she told Harry that in the beginning.  
"Ron is right. I told you so." The broken witch whispered.  
Harry was furious about the redhead and wished he would've given in his urges and hit him. But he could do that later. Right now he had to concentrate on Hermione.  
"No Hermione he isn't." he said determined, but Hermione just shook her head.  
"Hermione look at me."  
The brunette haired just turned her head away. She didn't want to see his pity.  
"Hermione, please look at me." Harry tried again, but without much success. She shook her head again.  
The black haired boy had enough of this and turned her head gently that he could look at her. His heart went out with pity as he saw that tears were still streaming down her face.  
"He isn't right. Ron is wrong. I told you before that you're everything, but not plain."  
Hermione looked into his face and looked for a lie, but she couldn't find one. He was honest with her. He really thought so. She leaned forward and buried her head in his chest and started to cry stronger.  
Harry felt rather helpless as Hermione suddenly held him close and sobbed for all that was worth. Unsure what to do he moved a comforting hand up and down her back. It was the closest a girl had ever been to him.  
After some time the sobs became more silent until Hermione just sniffed a little. She enjoyed being that close to Harry and inhaled his unique smell.  
When Hermione's senses kicked in again she slowly untangled herself from Harry. The situation was rather uncomfortable.  
"Thank you." She whispered silent and looked everywhere but not at Harry.  
The boy just smiled.  
"You're welcome."  
"Harry, you don't wear proper clothes for this weather. You'll get sick." Hermione exclaimed worried after some time.  
Harry just laughed.  
"And this comes from the witch who sits out here for ages."  
Hermione looked at him a little bit annoyed, but then joined to laugh with him.  
Needless to say that both went to Madam Pomprfey the next day and she chided them for being reckless while damp steamed out of their ears from the pepper up potion.

  
_Flashback end_

**Chapter four Dancing Lessons**

  
The black haired boy ran a hand through his hair, making it even more disheveled than before. He was relieved that they had finally reached the table. Now the attention of the pupils was on their food and not on the champions anymore.  
Wait, on their food, but how do you get your food? Curious Harry looked around, but everyone was staring at empty plates, pondering about the same question like him. His questioning gaze turned to Hermione.  
"How …?" he started, but the brown haired girl just shrugged with her shoulders. She hadn't the faintest glue.  
Hermiones gaze wandered through the hall. She was glad that nobody stared at her anymore, because she hated to be the center of attention. But now she had another problem. How to get your food?  
Finally their gazes fell upon Professor Dumbledore. He studied the menu, said out loud what he wanted and suddenly the food appeared on his plate. Happily he started to dig in.

  
Harry grinned and turned back to his own plate. He would never be tired of the wonders of magic. But then his grin faltered. This must be very complex for the house elves. His worried gaze traveled to Hermione. But for once she didn't seem to think about house elves. She was engaged in a conversation with Cho about updos and it seemed like she failed to notice what she was eating. Cedric just grinned at Harry, rolled his eyes and mouthed 'Girls.'. The black haired boy just waved and shrugged his shoulders.  
Hermione was talking animated to Cho. She never expected that the Asian girl could've the same problems that she had. It was fun. She had fun. Hermione expected the Yule ball to be quite boring. But she actually had fun. Another girl was talking to her like she was a girl. No one had done this before besides Harry maybe.  
'Harry …. Oh no, I totally forgot about him.' Feeling guilty Hermione turned to him, just to find him grinning at her. He didn't seem offended at all. Instead he looked like he was having the time of his life. Nothing she expected from him.  
Actually Harry was having fun. He talked to Cedric about Quidditch. Of course he could talk to Ron about such things too, but it was refreshing to talk to a person who wasn't a Gryffindor. After some time he felt Hermiones gaze on him .He turned toward her and grinned.  
"You're having fun?" he asked her.  
She just nodded happily.  
"Yes, I never thought the Yule ball could be fun for me. But it is."  
Suddenly Professor Dumbledores voice sounded through the great hall.  
"Now it's time for the dance." He gestured his hands toward the triwizard champions "Champions, if you would please."  
Harry and Hermione turned pale. That was what they were both most afraid of – Dancing. Taking in their panicked gaze Professor McGonegall nodded encouraging at her little lions. She was sure that they wouldn't embarrass themselves, not after what she had seen.

  
_Flashback Start_

  
Hermione and Harry sat in the library doing homework. Ron wasn't with them. The redhead thought that playing exploding Snape was more important than his schoolwork. Besides he didn't know how to approach Hermione, as both, Harry and Ginny, had given him a piece of their minds about his speech.  
The brunette witch was already finished and waited for Harry to finish his work. While waiting she read a book. At least, it looked like she would read, but she hadn't turned a page in the last fifteen minutes.  
Her thoughts were far away, dreaming of the ball. There would be a great atmosphere, splendid food and they would be dancing. Wait, what dancing? Did Harry even know how to dance? She knew the basics, but what was about him?  
Doubtful Hermione looked at her best friend who just threw his feather away with a big grin on his face.  
"Finally finished." He exclaimed.  
"Um …. Harry …" Hermione started, unsure how to approach the grinning boy. "Do you know how to dance?" she finally finished.  
Harrys grin faltered. He never thought about that. He had been so happy to have a date that he totally forgot about the dancing part. One thing was sure, he couldn't dance, but what was with Hermione?  
"No." he groaned, running a hand through his hair absently, making it even messier.  
"Do you?" he questioned his best friend.  
"Well … yes." Hermione admitted quietly. She should've known. But how could she blame him? His relatives probably didn't even thin to send their nephew to dancing lessons.  
Harry's eyes lit up at that. Hermione could dance, which meant, she could teach him.  
"Then teach me." He said.  
The witch had expected this reaction. It was always the same, if you don't know something, just ask Hermione.  
Regretfully she shook her head. "I can't teach you. I would need a little help myself. I just know the basics and I'm not that good at dancing."  
Harry hung his head. They would make idiots of themselves at the ball.  
Hermione instead refused to give up. She thought hardly.  
"We need someone who can teach us." The brunette said, thinking out loud.  
Her best friend looked up at her words. Who could teach them how to dance?  
"But who?" he exclaimed desperately.  
Hermione didn't acknowledge him. She just bit her lip while thinking.  
Harry looked at his best friends face. She looked rather cute thinking like that. Her nose was slightly wrinkled, her brows furrowed in concentration and the way she was biting on her lips was driving Harry crazy. However he was startled out of his thoughts when Hermione exclaimed "Professor McGonegall!"  
"What, Hermione, you can't be serious." He stuttered. Professor McGonegall, their transfiguration Professor and head of house should teach him how to dance? Unbelievingly he looked at Hermione, who just giggled at the face her best friend made.  
"Nope, that would be your godfather. I'm Hermione." The brunette haired witch said laughing at her best friends face.  
"But … but … but …" Harry started, but Hermione cut him off quite quickly. "No buts, we'll go to her, now."  
With that, Hermione gathered their things, thrust Harry,s bag at him, grabbed his hand and started to drag him out of the library before he even had the chance to protest again.

  
Professor McGonagall sat in her office, grading fifth year's papers. She knew that there were better ways to spend your Friday evening, but she was a woman who liked to do things as quick as possible.  
Suddenly a knock on her door made her look up. Who dared to interrupt her Friday Evening? Laying her feather down the professor sighed.  
"Come in." she called.  
'Come in.' it sounded from behind the door.  
"Alright Harry, here we go." Hermione said and gathered all her bravery to push the door open. Professor McGonagall was her favourite teacher, but she didn't know how she would react to their request.  
Slowly the brunette haired witch pushed the door open and walked into her professors office, dragging Harry along with her  
"Miss Granger, Mister Potter?" their head of the house looked quite surprised to see them. "What do you want from me on a Friday evening?" she asked curious.  
"Um … professor … you see …." Hermione started, not really sure how to approach things, but she continued quickly as she saw her favourite professors brow furrowing slightly. "Well … Harry asked me … to be his … date on …. the yule ball …."  
Harry stood beside Hermione and felt his face starting to burn as Hermione told their head of the house. Was she crazy? How could Professor McGonagall help them? They both should go until they embarrassed themselves further.  
"That's great Miss Granger, but I suppose you're not here to tell me this." Professor McGonagall said dryly. In truth she was amused by this situation. Seeing Miss Granger standing in front of her speechless and Mister Potter right beside her, his face matching Mister Wesley's was quite funny.  
"No … no … we're not." The brightest witch of her age confessed and hurried to speak on "We … want to ask you … if you were willing … to teach us … how to … dance?" she finally managed to stutter out, her face now matching Harrys.  
Minerva McGonagall stood dumbstruck in front of her two students. They wanted her to teach them how to dance? It's not that she couldn't dance. She just didn't expected that.  
"You don't have to teach us." Hermione started to rumble, interpreting the silence of her transfiguration teacher wrong. "I can teach Harry. After all I know the basics at least."  
Harry stood beside her and didn't say a word. He just waited for his professor's reaction.  
Finally Minerva McGonagall came to her senses and interrupted the babbling of her favourite student. She had tortured them enough.  
"It's alright Miss Granger. I would love to teach you." She smiled. "Would every second evening 7 o clock at my class room starting tomorrow be alright for you two?"  
Harry couldn't believe what he just heard. His strict professor just agreed to teach them how to dance. Unbelievingly he looked to Hermione, just to find her smiling at their professor.  
Hermione smiled at she heard her professor's words. She knew it. She knew that her favourite teacher would help them.  
"Yes, that would be alright. Thank you Professor. We wish you a pleasant evening. Until tomorrow." the brunette haired witch said kindly to her professor and pulled Harry out of the office with her.  
Once the door closed she turned to Harry and smiled at him.  
"See I told you in the beginning that she would help us." Hermione grinned at the boy who lived.  
Harry just groaned.

  
Lesson Number one

  
"Come on Harry, we're going to be late." Hermione shouted at her best friend, as they ran through the halls to their Professors classroom.  
Catching their breaths they knocked onto the door.  
"Come in!"  
Harry looked pale and was very nervous, but nevertheless he went into the room, after a just as pale and nervous looking Hermione.  
Their Professor smiled at them. "Good evening." She said and before her charges even had the chance to answer her she continued to talk.  
"So, then let's start. I think Miss Granger here can exercise the steps mostly on her own, because she already knows the basics."  
Turning to the brunette witch Professor McGonagall asked "Is that alright with you Miss Granger?"  
"Of course Professor." Hermione told her favourite teacher and smiled at her. She was feeling a little bit disappointed that she had to exercise alone today, but she was anxious to know what their Professor had planned for Harry.  
Professor McGonagall was now turning to the black haired wizard.  
"I will teach you the basics Mister Potter."  
Witch a flick of her wand music now filled the room.  
"Now, come here Mister Potter."  
Reluctantly Harry stepped closer to his teacher.  
"Put your hand at my hip."  
"Where?!" Something must be wrong with his ears. That was the only reasonable explanation.  
Professor McGonagall didn't hesitated and took the boys hand and placed it on her hip and they started to sway to the music.  
Seeking for help Harry looked over to Hermione, but she was nearly doubling over, laughing silently. This must be a bad dream. He sighed and gave in his fate.  
"Miss Granger you were pretty good. You memorized the steps nearly correct."  
Hermione grinned at her Professors praise. This first lesson had turned out pretty funny, at least for her. She had to stifle a giggle as she turned to the sullen looking Harry.  
"You also weren't that bad Mister Potter. You can exercise with Miss Granger the day after tomorrow." Their Professor said to the now smiling Harry. He always thought that he would make an idiot out of himself, but apparently he didn't.  
"I'm sure that my feet won't survive another dancing round." The Scottish witch muttered under her breath, so silent that only her favourite charge could her, who then grinned at her.  
"See you the day after tomorrow."  
Hermione waved her Professor good bye and returned to the common room with Harry, who was moaning about his hurting feet.

  
Lesson Number two

  
"Take this healing salve Miss Granger. I can imagine how your feet must feel at the moment." Professor McGonegall murmured to Hermione.  
"Thank you." The girl said, as she winced in pain when she put her weight on her feet. It was the end of the second lesson and Hermione couldn't even count how much times Harry stepped on her feet.

  
Lesson Number three

  
"No Mister Potter, put your hand at her hip and look that way." Professor McGonagall instructed, pointing in the direction Harrys head should be.  
"Ow, Harry, could you please stop stepping on my feet." Hermione, Harrys dancing partner exclaimed a little bit annoyed. Her feet were killing her.  
"Sorry Hermione." The black haired boy apologized.  
He sighed. Dancing wasn't his thing. He wasn't able to concentrate on his feet, his hands and his head on the same time.

  
Lesson Number four

  
"So Mister Potter, now that you finally got the hang of the steps could you please stop looking on your feet the whole time." Professor McGonagall instructed the black haired boy.  
"Yes Professor." Harry said looking up and promptly stepping on Hermione's feet.  
"Sorry." He said to the wincing Hermione.

  
Lesson Number five

  
"Mister Potter, would you be so nice and leave your hands were they should be and not somewhere else on Miss Granger." Professor McGonagall told the blushing young boy.  
Harry sighed and just nodded toward his transfiguration teacher. He was slowly getting the hang of this, but just slowly. Hermione instead was brilliant with this.  
"Sorry." He apologized as Hermione suddenly winced. He had stepped on her feet once again.

  
Lesson Number six

  
"Very good Mister Potter and you too Miss Granger. Finally you got the hang of this." Professor McGonagall said.  
"Thanks Professor." Hermione said while she and Harry danced through the room. Harry just nodded at her cause he still needed to concentrate pretty hard.

  
_Flashback End_

**Chapter 5 - Finally**

  
Harry and Hermione started to sway to the music. They twirled around the dance floor, both of them ignoring the jealous looks.  
Hermione was really gorgeous in her pink-purplish dress and Harry looked rather handsome in his fancy dress robes. Nearly every girl in the great hall envied Hermione, wanting to be in her place. And at least every second boy would love to trade with Harry at the moment.  
Professor McGonagall gazed with pride on her cubs. Their dancing had really improved since they asked her for lessons, especially Mister Potters. It wasn't perfect of course, but you can easily say, that they danced best out of the champions.  
The boy who lived and the brunette witch didn't even realised what was going on around them. They had just eyes for each other. Harry had never noticed the light gold sparkles in Hermione's eyes and Hermione how deep green Harry's eyes really were.  
They were leaning closer to each other, their lips nearly meeting, until …  
"That was the first dance, now so we don't embarrass our champions further, join them in dancing." Professor Dumbledore's voice echoed through the great hall and under loud cheering he took Professor McGonagall's hand and led her on the dance floor. Soon other pairs joined them.

  
Harry and Hermione sprung away from each other, when their headmaster started speaking. Both of them avoided to look the other into the eyes.  
*What has gotten into me? She is my best friend for hells sake.* Harry asked himself. He didn't understand how he could nearly kiss Hermione, his best friend. *But her lips looked so kissable in this light.* he thought further, until he shook his head like a wet dog. *No, I've to stop this nonsense.*  
Hermione on the other hand was cursing Dumbledore silently in her head. *Why couldn't he wait for a few more seconds? It wouldn't have harmed him.* She was furious. *Now Harry finally noticed that I'm a girl and he must interrupt us.* But the brunette haired witch was sure, that Harry was going to kiss her this evening, because she was going to make sure of this.  
"Do you want to continue to dance?" Harry asked Hermione hesitantly when the music started playing again.  
The brunette haired witch was startled by his question. She had been lost in her thoughts and didn't even noticed, that the music had continued to play.  
"Sure Harry, I would love to." She answered him. Maybe she could get her kiss now. But to her disappointment this song was a lot faster than the last one.  
But she still enjoyed dancing with Harry. He really had got the hang of this and rarely stepped on her feet anymore.

  
While twirling around the dance floor she spotted Ginny dancing nearby with Neville. The redhead caught her gaze and grinned at her. Hermione just smiled back and watched the youngest Weasly twirling away with Neville. The normal so shy and plump boy danced really well. She doubted that Ginny had to fear for her feet.  
Harry really enjoyed dancing with Hermione. He liked to have her in his arms. Lately he realised more and more that his best friend was indeed a girl, a pretty girl nonetheless. Suddenly he felt being watched. The black haired wizard looked around and caught Cedric's gaze. The other champion twirled Cho nearby over the dance floor. The older guy grinned and gave Harry thumbs up.  
Nor, Harry or Hermione noticed the jealous gaze a red haired boy send towards them.  
Suddenly the music stopped and everyone looked confused toward the big stage. Professor Dumbledore was now standing there with a microphone in his hand. As he saw the worried gazed of his pupils he chuckled softly.  
"Don't worry, I'm not going to sing. I just want to announce our special guests. Here are the Weird Sisters!"  
"Who?" Harry asked Hermione confused over the loud cheering that had erupted in the great hall.  
"The Weird Sisters Harry. They're a popular music band in the wizarding world." Hermione explained to him, while wiping on her feet. Their sound was really intoxicating.  
"Ginny told me about them this summer. She loves them."  
"Ah … ok …." Harry said. He never really understood the hysteria about muggle bands. It seemed that it was the same in the wizarding world. Confused he looked at Hermione who was wiping on her feet.  
"Are you feeling alright?" the black haired boy asked concerned.  
Confused the brunette haired witch looked at him. Why shouldn't she be ok?  
"Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?" Hermione asked him and continued before he ever had the chance to answer her. She wanted to dance for hells sake. And she would dance, even if she had to drag Harry onto the dancing floor. "Come on let's dance."  
The brunette haired girl grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. They were having the time of their life, while they danced through many songs.

"Can we have a break?" Hermione asked after some time of dancing. Her feet were burning like hell and she was really thirsty.  
"Sure." Harry replied relived. Not that he didn't liked dancing with her, but a break sounded heavenly.  
The black haired boy led his date from the dance floor toward their table.  
"Wait here, I'll get us something to drink." He said and walked away.  
Hermione sighed when she sat down. Her feet were surly killing her. She smiled after the boy. He had been a perfect gentleman so far.

  
Harry was just about to get himself and Hermione some drinks, when a familiar voice spoke to him.  
"Why haven't you told me?" Ron demanded to know harshly.  
Harry looked startled at his best friend. He knew in the beginning that his best mate won't like his date choice, but he had at least hoped that Ron learnt out of his experience when he called Hermione a plain looking bookworm, but it seemed he hadn't.  
"Ron, please calm down." The black haired boy tried, but the redhead wouldn't hear any of it.  
"You're supposed to be my BEST FRIENDS! Why have you KEPT that FROM ME?!" the youngest Weasley boy now shouted, ignoring the confused looks everyone gave him.  
Harry felt himself getting angry now. Why had Ron always to ruin everything? Why was he acting like a prat once again?  
"Like I already told you before, my date and I both thought it would be better not to tell anyone, including our best friend." The black haired boy tried to explain calmly.  
Unfortunately Ron didn't seemed to calm down, instead his face just turned redder.  
"I'm your BEST FRIEND and you two DITCHED me!" he started to scream once again.  
It got harder and harder for Harry to stay calm. The red haired boy was accusing Harry for ditching him, when he was the one who ditched his best friend when he became a triwizard champion unwanted.  
"I'm sorry Ron, but at the moment I haven't time to discuss this with you. I would suggest you to get some air, maybe this will clear your head a bit." Harry said, grabbed two glasses of butterbeer and turned around to go back to Hermione; ignoring the glances he got.

"HARRY, wait you just can't…." Ron started to shout again, but suddenly he shut up. Curious about what happened he turned around and saw the Weasley twins standing beside their brother. Each of them had hocked an arm around Ron and covered his mouth.  
"Come on Ronnykins…" one of the twins started.  
"… let's get some fresh air." The other one continued.  
"Sorry about that Harry." They said simultaneously and dragged their brother away.

  
Harry looked a little bit stunned at first, but then he started to laugh. He just loved the twins.  
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked immediately when her date returned to her. She had seen him and Ron arguing and it seemed like always the redhead acted like a prat.  
"Don't worry Hermione, everything is ok." Harry reassured her. "The twins took care of him for the moment."  
Hermione smiled and sipped happily on her butterbeer. Everything was alright, well, not everything because Ron acted like a prat like always, but she was so used to it by now, it hardly bothered her anymore, at least not at the moment.  
Harry also looked quite happy while sipping on his buttbeer. Ron was taken care of for the moment and he sat here with a really gorgeous date.  
They started to chat about random thinks and got lost in each other's company while drinking their drinks. Suddenly a voice took them back to reality.

  
"Partner change!" a grinning Ginerva Weasley said, grabbed the hand of the youngest triwizard champion and dragged him onto the dance floor, before the boy even had a chance to protest.  
Hermione looked a little bit perplexed after her date and her best friend, but them she started to smile amused. Harrys face had been hilarious.  
Someone cleared his throat to get her attention. Curious Hermione directed her gaze in front of her, just to find a very shy and nervous looking Neville Longbottom offering her his hand.  
"Would you … I mean …" he started to stammer.  
"Of course." Hermione said smiling and was led by her nervous classmate onto the dance floor.

  
Harry and Ginny glided more or less gracefully over the dance floor.  
"Sorry!" Harry apologized for the fifth time when Ginny's face turned into a mask of slight pain, because he had stepped on her feet again. Dancing in general wasn't his thing and dancing with another girl than Hermione wasn't either. He was so used to her movements by now, so that dancing with her was really great. Ginny just moved differently that his Mione.  
'Wait, she isn't my Mione, she is just Mione.' Harry thought to himself. Why did he consider Hermione as his property? She was his best friend and nothing more. And even if he felt more, there was no way that she would do too … .  
"Don't worry Harry. I'm alright." Ginny said, while grimacing slightly in secret. One thing was sure, Neville was better at dancing that Harry. But what don't you do for your friends?  
"So, how is the evening so far? You enjoy being with Hermione?" the red haired girl asked, thinking it was better to drop some hints for Harry or he would never come together with her best friend. Oh yes, she realised some time ago that the brightest witch of her age had a crush on the boy who lived. She wanted to help Hermione from the beginning, but the other girl always denied her, saying that there was no hope for her. Well, Ginny had another opinion and now was going to take the matter in her own hands.  
"It's going … fine … . " Harry stammered. "Why are you asking?"  
Ginny grinned as she saw how nervous the boy who lived got when it came to Hermione. "Oh, I just wanted to know, because this is Hermione's first date and that is important to every girl. It would be a disaster for her if you screw this up." A smirking Ginny told a gulping Harry who had gone pale.  
"Maybe you should take her for a walk in the gardens later. That would be very romantic." The red haired girl continued smiling slyly.  
Harry gulped again and nodded nervously. What was Ginny implying? Did she notice something? No, of course she didn't notice something, because there wasn't anything to notice.  
Suddenly the music came to a halt and a relived Harry quickly led Ginny off the dance floor. He was looking around frantically, hoping to find Hermione and Neville. They weren't at their table anymore. Finally he spotted them nearby, Neville was just leading Hermione off the dance floor like Harry had done with Ginny. Quickly Harry dashed toward them.

  
Hermione was talking to Neville and was having a great time. The shy boy had come out of his shell a little bit while dancing and she really had to admit, that he was much better than Harry. Suddenly a familiar voice interrupted them.  
"Hey Hermione, want to go for a walk in the gardens?" Harry asked, Ginny's playful suggestion the first thing that came into his mind. He grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged the confused looking girl after him toward the gardens.  
"See you later guys." Harry called over his shoulder to Ginny, who was slyly grinning, and Neville, who looked as confused as Hermione.  
"What was that about?" Hermione asked Harry while they were walking through the rosarium. Not that she didn't like the fact that the black haired boy took her out here. But she couldn't get rid of the feeling that Ginny had to do something with this.  
It was beautiful out here. Small ways intertwined between the bushes passing pretty statues, water could be heard gurgling somewhere close, little fairies were flying around and the stars bathed the scenery in a silvery light.  
"I just thought …." Harry started and asked himself what the hell he had thought. "Um … I thought that getting some fresh air would do you good. It was quite crowded in there." He quickly finished his explanation, hoping that he sounded reasonable. He felt relieved when Hermione nodded. She seemed to have brought his poor excuse.  
Hermione grinned slightly to herself when she heard his poor excuse. This was just screaming 'GINNY'. Well, for once she was glad about her friends interfere. This way she hadn't to come up with an excuse herself to get Harry out here with her.  
Before she could ponder more about it a shudder went through her body. It was really cold out here. But what did she expect? It was Christmas after all and Christmas was in December.  
Harry was too lost in his own thoughts. They were walking in a comfortable silence. Well, until he noticed her shudder.  
"Hermione, are you alright?" he could nearly slap himself for that question. Of course she wasn't alright when goosebumps danced over her whole body.  
"Wait, don't answer that." Harry said and took his grown off. "Here, take this."  
"Thank you Har …" Hermione started but wasn't able to continue. Harry had come near her when he was wrapping his grown around her, pretty near. The brunette haired witch was lost in his emerald eyes. It was as if the time had slowed down. They were leaning into each other slowly, closing their eyes and … voices could be heard nearby and for the second time that evening they sprang apart quickly.

  
Hermione cursed silently. Here just went her second chance away. Who had disturbed them this time? For hells sake she had crush on this boy for ages and now when she nearly had him they were disturbed several times.  
Harry debated with himself. 'She is you best friend.' 'That doesn't matter.' 'I've been friends with her since our first year.' 'So? You still want to kiss her!' 'I don't wanna.' 'Yes you want.'  
Both were took back to reality when they heard the voices again. Closer this time, so that they could understand what they were saying. One voice was dreadful familiar.  
"… don't understand what you still want to talk about Igor."  
"Severus, you can't pretend that this isn't happening." Karkaroffs voice sounded hushed and worried as if he didn't want someone eavesdropping. "It' getting clearer since months. I start to worry slowly, I've to admit …"  
"Then flee." Snape replied harshly. "Flee, I'll find an excuse for you. I'm going to stay at Hogwarts."  
Snape and Karkaroff turned around a hedge. Snape had his wand in his hand and tattered the rose bushes in thousand pieces with a cranky mine. Screams were heard out of the bushes and dark shadows rushed out.  
"Ten points from Hufflepuff, Fawcett." Snape bawled at a girl that ran past him. "And ten points from Ravenclaw, Stebbins." He added when a boy rushed after the girl.  
"And what are you two doing here?" he asked, finally taking notice of Harry and Hermione.  
Harry realised that Karkaroff seemed pretty nervous when he saw him. He started to twirls his beard worse than before.  
"We were taking a walk. That isn't forbidden, isn't it?" Harry answered while Hermione stood beside him motionless.  
"Then go ahead damn it." Snape said and rushed past them with Karkaroff following him like a dog. Harry and Hermione continued walking  
"Why is Karkaroff so afraid?" Hermione mumbled.  
"And since when are they on first name terms?" Harry added slowly.  
The brunette haired witch shook her head like a wet dog. She would think about this, but not now.  
"Come on Harry, let's talk about something different. We can discuss about it later, but not now." She said.  
Harry remembered Ginny words about not to screw this up and nodded in agreement.  
They walked further and found themselves near a big stony reindeer. Over it they could see a sparkling fountain.

  
"Look over there Harry." Hermione said pointing to a stone bank nearby. She pulled Harry toward it and groaned when she sat down. Her feet were killing her or better, her shoes were killing her feet.  
"Is everything alright?" Harry asked concerned hearing her groan.  
Hermione smiled, her best friend and hopeful soon to be boyfriend could be really sweet sometimes.  
"Don't worry, I'm alright." The brunette haired witch said, leaning closer into Harry's side.  
The face of the boy who lived was now glazed with a slight blush. He lost himself in these chocolate brown eyes. They leaned even closer together, closing their eyes, catching their breath in anticipation and …. two voices could be heard nearby.  
Harry and Hermione sprang apart for the third time that evening. The brunette haired witch cursed her bad luck. Why wasn't she allowed to get one kiss from her crush, why?! First Dumbledore, then Snape and Karkaroff and now … well, she didn't know who interrupted them this time.  
Harry on the other and knew right away and for once he didn't care that much that he nearly kissed his best friend and was about to destroy their friendship (of course there were still two voices in his head 'Kiss her and don't make me go insane.' 'No, I won't, she's my best friend.' 'And?'), instead he quickly grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her in the bushes nearby. He knew that voice pretty well – it was Hagrid.

  
"I just had to look at you once and I knew it immediately." Their big friend said with a strangely rough voice.  
Hermione nearly gasped when she heard the voice of her gigantic friend, but fortunately Harry covered her mouth with his hand. They both had never heard him to talk like this.  
"Wat 'ave you known 'Agrid?" Madame Maxime answered, nearly purring.  
Harry and Hermione looked horrified at each other. They sounded like they didn't want to be interrupted and neither the brunette haired witch or her date intended to do so. They wanted to steal away.  
Unfortunately when the black haired boy was about to make his escape Hermione held him back. Slightly angry Harry looked at her, but the brunette haired witch just gestured him to look closer and then he saw them. Fleur Delacour and Roger Davis, nearly covered by a rose bush and they seemed rather busy. But this way would've been the only escape. They had no choice, but to stay to hear and pretend that they can't hear anything.  
"I knew right away … you're like me … was it mother or father?" Hagrid said.  
Hermione and Harry had ducked deep behind the stony reindeer and really tried to concentrate on something else. The brightest witch of their age tried to remember everything Professor Bins told them about the great goblin war. The youngest triwizard champion on the other hand concentrated on a beetle crawling on the statue. He didn't want to eavesdrop on his friend. He was sure if he knew that would be embarrassing for Hagrid (it would be for him too).  
But both things weren't interesting enough and with Hagrids words their curiosity won. They continued to eavesdrop, now really eager to know what that was about.  
"I don't know wat you mean 'Agrid." Madame Maxime answered silently.  
"For me … was my mother." Hagrid was now speaking silent too. "She was one of the last in Britain. Of course I can't remember much of her … she went away. I was about three years old. She wasn't the motherly type. Well, it's in their nature, isn't it? Don't know what happened with her … maybe she died … "  
Madame Maxime seemed mute at the moment. Harry was pretty curious and looked over the statue (until Hermione pulled him down). He had never heard Hagrid speaking about his childhood.  
"She broke my Dad's heart when she went away. Really small guy, my dad. When I was six I could scoop him up and sat him on the kitchen counter if he annoyed me. He always laughed when I did this …"  
Hagrids deep voice broke. Madame Maxime listened him silently, but her gaze was on the water fountain.  
"My dad raised me … but then he died, just when I got accepted in school. Afterwards I had to struggle through life. Dumbledore really helped me. He was pretty nice to me …"  
Harry looked sadly at his big friend. He had known that his life wasn't easy with getting expelled and such things, but he never thought it was that bad.  
Hagrid took a big dotted handkerchief out of his pocket and blew his nose quite loudly.  
"Well … that was about me. And, what's about you? From who did you got it?"  
Madame Maxime stood up suddenly.  
"It's cold, I want to go back inside." She said, but it wasn't nearly as cold as her voice was at the moment.  
"What?" Hagrid said confused "No, don't go! I've never met another one."  
"Another what exactly?" Madame Maxime asked coldly.  
Hermione would've loved to cover Hagrids mouth with her hand at the moment, to prevent him digging himself even deeper in trouble, but she couldn't do anything. She just stood in the shadow of the statue and groaned when her big friend opened his mouth to answer the question of the headmistress of Beauxbatons.  
"A second half giant of course." Hagrid said.  
"How dare you?!" Madame Maxime shrieked and her voice boomed like a foghorn through the peaceful night. Harry and Hermione could her Fleur and Roger dashing out of the bushes. "I've never been that insulted in my life before! Moi, a 'alf giant? I've got … I've got big bones."  
She dashed off through the bushes; big colourful swarms of fairies flattered around, when she stormed angry through the bushes. Hagrid sat on the bench and stared after her. It was much too dark to read his face. Then, after a minute he stood up, and started to walk, not to the castle, he walked to his hut.

  
Finally Harry and Hermione were able to move. They both groaned when they stretched their aching limps.  
"Have you known that Hagrid is a half giant?" Harry asked his best friend.  
"No I haven't, but I've suspected something like this, but actually I thought that he fell in a growing potion when he was a child." Hermione said, as if she was talking about the weather.  
"But why denied Madame Maxime that she is a half giant? It's obvious." The black haired wizard asked, not really having a clue.  
Hermione sighed, but nevertheless answered him. "You see Harry, giants are considered as brutal creatures in the wizarding world, but I think that's just prejudice. It's the same with werewolves. But do you know any nicer people than those two? No, of course you don't. Just one thing Harry, don't tell anyone. You remembered what happen when it became common that Professor Lupin is a werewolf. So you can just imagine what would happen if someone knows that Hagrid is a half giant. By the way can we go back inside? I'm really freezing now."  
Harry just nodded to everything she said, once again surprised by the ability of girls to talk so much in a short time. They made their way inside.  
"Thanks again Harry." Hermione said once they were inside and she gave him his cloak back. Carefully she looked around and breathed in relief, when she noticed that Ron wasn't near. She did want to have a nice evening.

  
"Would you like to dance with me again?" Harry asked his date quite unsure. It's not that he liked dancing all off sudden, but the brunette haired witch really like it and sometimes a man … eh boy … must make sacrifices.  
Unbelievingly but happy Hermione looked at Harry. He wanted to dance with her on his own will? The brightest witch of her age was pretty sure, that the black haired boy hated dancing, well, not really hated, but it'll definitely never be his favourite action.  
"Of course, I would love to." She said and smiled at him. Feeling pretty nervous she took the hand he offered her, a shaking hand, meaning that he was pretty nervous too.  
Until now it was quite late and there were just a few people left in the great hall and even less on the dance floor. At the moment they were playing a pretty slow song, a song where you normally dance close to each other, very close.  
Harry gulped as he drew Hermione close to him. He could feel every curve of her body. Slowly his hands came on a rest on her back, just above her buttocks. Unsure if she was offended by this he looked down, only to find a mass of brown hair coming closer to him, until her head rested on his shoulder. It seemed like Hermione didn`t mind at all.  
Hermione sighed and closed her eyes. It felt heavenly were she was at the moment. Smiling she inhaled Harry's scent and snuggled even deeper in his shoulder. She never wanted that evening to die. Her hands rested comfortably on his back.  
Slowly they continued to the music, unaware that some eyes were watching them. One of these eyes belonged to Ginny Weasley. She was having a good time. Neville turned out to be a great dancer and came out of his shell the further the evening preceded. Also it looked like her best female friend wasn't going to need her help anymore.  
Neville also watched this two. He thought actually for some time now, that Harry and Hermione belonged together. He just didn't want to imagine Ron's reaction to all of this. And besides he really had a great time. The dancing lessons his grandmother forced him to do finally paid off and he never thought that spending the evening with Ginny could be that great.  
A third person watched the triwizard champion, a certain Professor who gave them dancing lessons. She always knew that these two belonged together. She was sure that her brightest charge knew this quite well, just the boy who lived always seemed a little clueless. But at the moment it looked like he wasn't that clueless at all anymore.

  
As the song was about to come to an end Hermione lifted her head to look up, because she wanted to ask Harry if they could continue to dance, but when her gaze fell upon his green eyes she hold her breath and couldn't utter a word. She was lost in his emerald green eyes. Slowly Hermione leaned closer to Harry and got on her tiptoes while closing her eyes. Her heart was beating like crazy and she was sure, if Harry wouldn't hold onto her she would fall down.  
When Harry felt the girl in his arms moving he looked down onto her, only to find his breath going shallow, when his eyes locked with her chocolate brown ones. He was totally lost in her eyes. His heart, which was already beating much faster than normal, started to beat as fast as a herd of buffalos, when the beautiful witch in his arms got on her tiptoes to get closer to him. Finally he understood that he really liked Hermione, more than liked actually. He closed his eyes and leaned down.  
Finally their lips met, their bodies were melting into each other. Both felt as if they could die out of happiness at the moment. Their hearts were about to burst with joy. It was as if someone started fireworks in their heads.  
After a few seconds they separated, their faces flushed, slowly opening their eyes. Harry looked down on the most beautiful witch he ever met with a big grin on his face. With sparkling eyes Hermione gazed up on her boyfriend's face. *Boyfriend? Yes, boyfriend!* at this thoughts the brunette haired witch started to beam.  
"So …." Harry broke the silence reluctant, none of them noticing that they had the attention of all remaining people in the great hall. "I guess we're boyfriend and girlfriend now, aren't we?" he asked and immediately after the question he could've beat himself for asking such a stupid thing.  
Hermione on the other hand smiled lightly, that was her Harry. She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Does that answer your question?"  
"Yes." Harry answered grinning like an idiot.

Suddenly whistles echoed through the great hall and now the two of them noticed that they were in the centre of attention. Both blushed crimson red and Hermione hide her face in Harrys shoulder.  
After some time slowly the music started again and they continued to dance. The other couples doing the same, while some people still glanced at them and whisper could be heard 'I know they belong together.'.  
Ginny and Neville watched them dancing, both of them happy for their friends. Also Professor McGonagall's eyes rested on the young couple. She was happy that the boy finally understood.

  
"Want to go up?" Harry asked his yawing girlfriend, yes his girlfriend. He grinned happy at the term.  
"I would love to. I'm dead on my feet." Answered the brunette haired witch, letting out another yawn.  
The black haired wizard nodded, took her arm and started to lead her out of the great hall. Suddenly a voice stopped them.  
"Hey Potter, wait!" was Cedric Diggory calling him. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"  
Harry looked questioning at his girlfriend, who nodded, and jogged toward the older boy.  
"Hey, have you figured out …."

  
"Do you have an idea what he could mean with that?" Harry questioned Hermione, who was snuggled in his side, when they walked hand in hand to the common room.  
"Mh …. I think I've an idea, but I'm not quite sure until we try his hint out." The brightest witch of her age answered.  
"Alright…" the youngest triwizard champion said and then he halted "Wait, what do you mean with 'Until we try his hint out?'. You can't come with me!" Harry exclaimed, his cheeks turning bright red as he thought of himself and Hermione in the perfects bathroom bathing together.  
"Of course I'm coming with you. You won't be able to figure the riddle out without my help." Hermione teased him lightly, but when she saw his red face she stopped giggling and stepped away from him, until she was able to look at him properly.  
"Harry James Potter, get your mind out of the gutter immediately! We're going to wear swimsuits." She admonished him.  
"Of … course …. I never … .never thought something … else… ." the black haired boy managed to choke out, his face still crimson red.  
Hermione looked at him with scepticism shown in her face, but in the end she was satisfied with his answer and snuggled back in his side.

  
Finally they reached the portrait of the fat lady. They had to shout at her together and it took some minutes until she swung aside, because she was extremely drunk.  
Harry climbed through the portrait hole first, then he turned around and offered his girlfriend a helping hand, figuring that it must be difficult to climb through with her dress and that shoes. Hermione gladly accepted his help and got after him.  
"Thanks Har …" she stopped mid sentenced, her eyes fixed on something behind her boyfriend.  
Harry turned around, worried what got his girlfriend to stop talking, that's when he saw him. Ronald Billius Weasley sitting on a couch near the fireplace with a scowl on his face.  
"Hey Ron, how was your evening?" he asked his best mate nervous.  
Rons face got even darker. "How my evening was? HOW MY EVENING WAS?!" he roared. "WELL, I just got to know that my SUPPOSED BEST FRIENS SHAGGEG BEHIND MY BACK and you ask me HOW MY EVENING WAS?!"  
Harry flinched away, but nevertheless he spoke up with forced patience. "Ron, I've never slept with Hermione and we just became a couple around an hour ago." Hermione laid a calming hand on his shoulder, herself at the moment out of words.  
"Why her? You could've got EVERY GIRL you WANTED. Why the PLAIN looking BOOKWORM?" Ron screeched once again.  
Harry felt furious, it seemed that Ron didn't learn his lesson. He was insulting Hermione once again.  
Hermione's face fell as she heard Ron's words. Her evening was so great and now the redhead had to fuck it up once again.  
"Yes Harry …." Suddenly another voice spoke up and a second voice finished " … why did you take the gorgeous bookworm?"  
"It's such a loss for us." The twins said unison.  
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Ron asked his brothers.  
Hermione looked confused at them, while Harry, who was having his arm in reassurance around his girlfriend, suppressed a grin.  
"We mean …" one of the twins started.  
"… it's sad …" the other one continued.  
"… that such a beautiful girl is of the market." They finished together.  
The brunette haired girl blushed furiously and her boyfriend started to laugh.  
Ron's face turned red too, but out of anger.  
His brothers, sensing that a big outburst was going to come, quickly added.  
"So, come with us dear brother … " Fred said and Georg continued "… let's drown our sadness in liquid."  
Ron looked suspicious at his brothers and nodded hesitantly. Maybe it would do him really some good to go with them and forget Harry bloody Potter and his … girlfriend. The twins grinned at his nod and dragged him away, while looking smug over to Harry and Hermione.

  
Once they were out of their sight Harry laughed out loud. He almost felt sorry for Ron after seeing the mischievous look on the faces of the twin's.  
Hermione, who was still tucked into his side, looked confused up at her boyfriend.  
"What are you laughing about?" the brunette haired witch asked.  
"Cause I don't know if I should feel angry at Ron or sorry for him." Harry chuckled.  
"Why?"  
The black haired wizard looked at his girlfriend. Was she playing with him? But a look in her face told him that the normally so brilliant witch really didn't know why he was laughing.  
"Quite easy Mione, cause, judging by the look on their faces, the twins are going to prank him."  
At this explanation Hermione started to laugh with her boyfriend. When she thought about the twins pranks she felt almost sorry for the red haired boy.  
Suddenly the muggleborn witch yawned again. She really was dead on her feet.  
Harry looked at his girlfriend and asked. "You're pretty tired, mh?"  
"Yeah." Hermione answered with another yawn.  
"I think we should head to bed." Harry said and it wasn't until his girlfriend started to giggle that he noticed how she could understood this.  
"No, I meant each of us should head toward their own beds." He quickly explained the still giggling girl beside him. He never knew that she was the giggling type of girl.  
"I know what you meant." Hermione said still giggling.  
She was feeling great, finally she was together with her secret crush and Ron was also taken care of by the twins.  
Slightly hesitating she got on her tiptoes and kissed her boyfriend passionately on the lips, before turning around blushing heavily and nearly running up the stairs to the girl's dorms.  
Harry stood there frozen for a few seconds, touching his lips with his fingers and then started grinning like a fool. He walked on clouds to the boys dorms.

  
The next morning Hermione was up before Parvati and Lavender, getting ready for the day with an idiotic grin on her face. She danced around her dorm humming slightly. The day couldn't be better. She had the boyfriend she wanted and the last evening was just wonderful.  
"What are you so happy about? It's too early." A grumpy voice suddenly interrupted the brunettes happy humming. It was Parvati, who was slowly opening her eyes, shielding them with a hand against the brightness in the room  
"I just had a great evening, that's all." Hermione said joyful.  
"Oh, that's all …" her dorm mate said, sinking back into her bed, but suddenly said up again.  
"Wait, what do you mean you had a great evening?"  
"I meant what I said, I had a great evening." Hermione just answered with a foolish grin and danced out of the room, leaving a complete confused Parvati behind.  
The black haired girl looked unbelievingly after her roommate, who acted nothing like herself. She behaved like a little girl in love. Suddenly it was like someone put on a light bulb in her head and Parvati knew what was wrong with Hermione – she was in love with Harry Potter and obliviously they were together.  
Open mouthed she sat frozen for a few seconds, until she hurried to her best friends bed.  
"Lavender, Lavender wake up. I've to tell you something …."

  
When Hermione glided down the stairs she met an equally happy looking Ginny.  
"Congratulations Mione. I'm so happy for the two of you."  
"Thanks Gin." A blushing brunette haired girl said and continued. "But how was your evening?"  
Turning as red as her hair the only girl of the Weasley clan started to talk. "It was great. Neville really is a good boy. We were one of the last couples to leave in the night."  
"Couples?" Hermione asked grinning.  
"You know what I mean." Ginny pouted.  
Up until now they had reached the common room.  
"Of course." Hermione smiled down at her best female friend (and only one).  
"Where are the boys anyway? I asked Nev to meet us with Harry down here at half past nine."  
Ginny said, trying to turn the conversation to a new topic.  
"I bet they're still asleep, but don't worry. They will be down in a bit." Hermione said with an evil grin, took her wand and made a complicated looking swishing motion.

  
In the boy's dorm two boys suddenly sat straight up spluttering in their now wet and ice cold beds.  
"What was that?" Harry asked grumpy. He was just having a great dream about Hermione and himself and didn't like the wakeup call.  
Neville, who feared to know why this was happening, asked the boy on the bed beside his.  
"Harry, what time is it?"  
The black haired boy who just had put on his glasses answered.  
"It's 9:35. Why are you asking?"  
The round faced boy turned pale and explained "Cause we were supposed to meet Ginny and Hermione downstairs five minutes ago. I think that was our wake up call."  
They looked at each other, not noticing that they were the last in their dorms, and sprinted into the bathroom.

  
"Hermione, are you sure they're going to come down?" asked an impatient Ginny. She was pretty hungry. Ten minutes had passed and there were still no sign of the boys.  
"Don't worry. They'll be here in a moment." Hermione assured her, pretty sure that her wakeup call worked.  
And she should be right. Just a minute later two sleepy boys stumbled down the stairs which lead to the boys dorms.  
"Finally. What took you so long?" Ginny demanded to know.  
"Sorry, we overslept." Neville apologised quickly, trying to avoid the rise of the famous Weasley temper.  
"Good morning." Hermione greeted them and shyly hugged her boyfriend and kissed him on the lips.  
"Morning." Just came a grumpy response from Harry, but he happily kissed his girlfriend back.  
"What's the matter with you guys? Didn't you like my wakeup call?" the brunette haired witch asked giggling.  
"What did you do Mione?" Ginny asked her friend curios.  
"Let's say their wakeup call was wet and cold." Hermione laughed and was soon joined by Ginny.  
"That was you?" Harry asked his girlfriend.  
"Of course, who else could've been it?" the brunette haired witch grinned at her boyfriend. Her grin faded when she saw him grinning malicious.  
"Harry, what are you up to?" the brunette asked his boyfriend and baking away, before turning around and running , with her boyfriend right on her heels.  
Neville and Ginny laughed about them and went into the direction of the great hall.

  
They four of them sat together in the great hall chatting happily. The boys had their wake up call already forgotten.  
Hermione laughed with the others about something that Neville said, when she saw the faces of her friends sitting opposite of her went blank and they started at something behind her and her boyfriend. She could only guess who now stood behind Harry and her.  
Slowly the new found couple turned around and of course Ronald bloody Weasley stood behind them looking quite nervous.  
Harry and Hermione looked with grim faces at him. His sister and Neville looked equally dark at the redhead.  
It wasn't until he opened his mouth and started to speak that their mines changed.  
"Can I talk with you?" Ron asked with a girlish high pitched voice.  
The four sitting in front of them first grinned at each other, then they started to chuckle and then they laughed out loud. Hearing the big boy with such a girly voice was hilarious.  
Harry and Hermione now knew what Fred and George had done to him.  
After they calmed down the new couple looked at each other, both understanding the unspoken message in each other's eyes as they turned around to turn him down.  
"Please hear me out." Ron pleaded again in the girlish voice.  
Hermione looked at him closely. He had hurt her pretty much and never apologized for the things he said. But a look in his eyes showed her that he was serious.  
Harry also looked at his supposed to be best mate. He has hurt Hermione badly and also hadn't been the nicest person to him when the whole thing with being the triwizard champion happened. Plus he nearly ruined yesterday evening. But after a look in his eyes he also understood that he was sincere about this.  
Harry and Hermione looked at each other conversing nonverbally and then turned to nod at Ron.  
The redhead looked relived and said. "Let's go outside. There we can talk."  
They all walked together out of the great hall. Ginny looked at her brother and called "Don't screw up again or you're going to have a big problem." Neville paled when he heard her voice. If Ron really was about to screw up again he would hate to be him.  
Looking at his little sister Ron nodded, shivering visibly at this thought.

  
They stood for a few minutes in absolute silence, while trying not to look at each other. Harry became impatient. He wouldn't start talking. It was Ron who had asked them out here and he was the one who should start speaking. If he didn't start soon the black haired boy would take his girlfriend back inside. She was shaking from the cold, even with Harry wrapping an arm around her. Besides he wasn't that warm himself. It was December for hells sake and they weren't wearing anything else than their ordinary thin school robes.  
Hermine was shaking like a leaf. Snuggling into her boyfriend she looked for some warmth. It was freezing out here. She hoped that Ron finally would open his mouth. He was the one who had to apologize and not them. This time she wouldn't make the first step, like always. Just gulping down what he had said to her.  
"Um … you see … " Ron started to stutter in his girlish voice and continued "… I'm … sorry…"  
"Sorry for what Ronald?" Harry asked, while pulling the shaking girl closer to him. He wasn't ready to forgive the redhead just because he said sorry.  
Hermione didn't say anything, but also looked with a dark mine at Ron.  
"Well … I'm sorry for acting like a brat…." The boy said, hoping that it was enough.  
But it wasn't. Both were still standing in front of him and looking at him expectantly and Ron understood that it wasn't enough. He needed to say more.  
First he addressed Harry, figuring it would be easier to talk to him first.  
"Um … you see mate … I'm sorry for not believing you … I mean when that bloody goblet spit out your name … I acted like an idiot." Ron mumbled, lowering his head. Now that he thought about it – he really had been an idiot toward his best friend.  
Harry nodded slowly. He accepted the apology, but that didn't mean he would go right now goody goody with Ron. Such things need some time. Besides, there was also his girlfriend, still shaking in his arms, that the read head owed an apology.  
Ron let out a huge breath of relieve. Harry forgave him, at least more or less.  
But there was still Hermione and it didn't look like she would forgive him that quickly.  
Hermione snuggled deeper into Harrys side. She was freezing for Merlins sake. Good, Ron had apologized to her boyfriend and he accepted it, more or less. But he still had to tell her that he's sorry.  
The black haired boy beside the brunette witch looked at her concerned. She was still shaking like a leaf. He gave a piercing glare to Ron, who, for once, understood the message – talk now, or you're going to regret it.  
The redhead took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak, but not a sound came out of it.  
"Yes Ronald, do you want to say something?" Hermione questioned him, still seeking warmth of her boyfriend.  
"Uhm … yes …" Ron started and cringed when he heard his girlish high pitched voice. He was going to get Fred and George for that. Of course, he had been a prat and deserved it, but still, he was their brother.  
"I … I'm … I'm really sorry Hermione. Not just for yesterday, but also for the things I said a few weeks ago. That was unacceptable and I just hope that you'll forgive me." Ron said and didn't even dare to look up at Hermiones face. He nearly cringed when he thought about the things he said to her. The redhead actually looked like a beaten puppy.  
Hermione looked down onto the redhead, pretty unsure what to do. Sure he said pretty hurtful things about her, but his apology seemed honest. And besides, they've been friends with him since their first year, even if he could act like a prat from time to time.  
The brightest witch of her age turned to look at her boyfriend for support, seeking an answer in his emerald green eyes. He nodded slightly. That was enough for her. If Harry could forgive him, she could too.  
"I'll accept your apology Ron, but you still have some making up to do, to both of us." With these words Hermione turned around, grabbed Harrys hand and they walked to the castle, before Ron even could say a word.  
"Thank you Hermione." Ron said silently to himself and his eyes grew as large as sausages when he heard his voice. It was normal again. His brothers just wanted him to apologize to his friends. A large grin on his face Ron set off after his friends.

So, what do you think?


End file.
